How We Review Yotsuba Knives

Who writes these pages?

Every guide, review and comparison here is written by Jesse Raub, a food and kitchen gear writer.

Where do the figures come from?

Yotsuba's published specifications: blade length, steel type, hardness where Yotsuba gives it, edge angle where Yotsuba gives it, handle material and set contents.
The care and use instructions that come with Yotsuba knives: hand-washing, drying, storage and sharpening guidance.
Points that recur in public buyer reviews. If many buyers raise the same question, such as how to keep a Damascus blade from spotting or which pieces a set actually contains, we answer it on the page. We describe the pattern rather than quoting individuals.

Why is a figure missing?

Yotsuba publishes a hardness figure or an edge angle for some knives and not for others. A dash in a table means that figure isn't published, and it isn't estimated. The same applies to set contents: if a set's pieces aren't all named, they aren't filled in.

How are the pages put together?

Product pages list what is in the box and the published specs, with a short note on who the set suits.
Single-set reviews, such as the 3PCS Damascus set and the 15-piece block, go into blade shapes, steel and care for one product.
Comparisons line up two sets on the same measures: blade lengths, steel, hardness, edge angle and handle.
Guides answer the questions people bring to a knife purchase: gyuto, santoku or nakiri, what angle to sharpen at, how to care for Damascus steel.
The Yotsuba review page gives an overview of every line and links to the rest.

Which set suits which cook?

The 3PCS Damascus set uses the hardest steel, 67-layer Damascus at about 62 HRC. The Milano rosewood knives sit near 56 Rockwell, which is softer and quicker to hone. The 15-piece block is the only kit with steak knives and one-piece stainless handles.

What happens when something is wrong?

Send the page and the correct figure, with its source, through the Contact page. Confirmed corrections go onto the page.